BBRAE Week 2018
by Backpfeifenguy
Summary: My submissions for BBRAE Week 2018. I've never written these characters before, so we'll... we'll see how this goes.
1. Day 1 (fixed (I hope))

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos, Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Raven had been meditating for forty-five minutes, and thus far it had been unproductive to say the least. Her emotions refused to settle, feeding her frustration, thus turning the next few minutes into a struggle just to get back to square one. Even more frustrating was that she knew the reason for her sudden emotional uproar. It was green with pointy ears, fangs, and a love of terrible puns.

Now, this wasn't the first time Beast Boy had sent her emotions out of balance, but it _was_ still a new experience. She was used to being angry with him, although in the three and a half years since she'd dealt with Trigon, that had become a less frequent state of affairs. She was also used to worrying about him, a fact that she'd only admit to when things with him got _bad_ , something which happened more frequently as she learned more about him and came to understand the depths of pain he hid behind his smiling facade. But despite the curious sensation of heat she felt when she thought about his big cheesy grin, she knew she wasn't angry. And even though her heart sped up in a burst of adrenaline whenever she recalled those moments when he let the mask slip and showed her what lay underneath, she knew she wasn't worried.

No, she knew what it was, and that was what bothered her the most. As she gave up on meditation for the time being, she cast her mind back to her first meeting with Aqualad, and knew that she'd felt strangely warm back then. And as she headed to the kitchen, pinning her hopes of achieving some semblance of calm on a cup of herbal tea, she recalled the way her heart had raced when Malchior had charmed her. "I can't believe it," She groaned. "I've got a crush on Beast Boy." Shaking her head at the absurdity of her situation, strolled out of the hall, stopping only when she heard a voice coming from the common room.

"And it's just not _fair_ , y'know? Like, what am I meant to do now?" Raven froze in place as she recognised the voice coming from the common room. Because of _course_ it was Beast Boy. "I mean, I get that she's way out of my league, but c'mon dude! I can't just turn my feelings off!" And just like that, all Raven felt was cold and empty, like she'd been cored with an icicle.

"He has feelings for someone else…" She whispered to herself, blinking back tears that she'd never admit existed, even to herself.

"Like, she's smart, she's funny in her own way, she's _beautiful_ , and I'm basically just green and funny-looking." Every word out of Beast boy's mouth made her hurt just a little more, but she listened anyway.

"And rich." A new voice chipped in. It was familiar, but Raven couldn't quite place it.

"Come on Eddie," Beast boy responded. "She's way too classy for something like that to help me."

"Fair enough," The voice that Raven now knew to be Kid Devil's conceded. "I'm just saying, you've got some stuff going for you."

"I'm with Eddie." A third voice that sounded like Speedy's interjected. "You're a good man, Gar. I know that better than most." Raven knew that Beast Boy had helped Speedy overcome his heroin addiction, and that he also liked to downplay his part in doing so.

"If anyone should be pissing and moaning, it's me." Kid Devil (Raven usually felt more comfortable referring to her friends by their superhero aliases, real names were too intimate) said. "No way in hell is Rose ever gonna waste her time with a loser like me. What does a guy like me have to offer a confident, sexy badass like her?" He sighed. " _That's_ what out of your league looks like." Although Raven was sympathetic towards Kid Devil, at that moment she wished he'd just keep his mouth shut and let Beast Boy talk some more so she could work out who his mystery girl was and what made her so special.

"Dude, you look like a cheap romance novel banged a heavy metal album!" Beast Boy quipped, forcing Raven to choke back laughter (he was funny when he just let it happen). "Plus you can raise your body temperature super high, and you're a total softy. There's no way you're not ticking at least _one_ box in Ravager's big book of kinks!"

"Oh, and you think you're any different, mister fangs and occasionally claws?" Speedy chuckled. "You're fetish fuel same as Eddie." Raven blushed faintly as she found herself agreeing with Speedy; Beast Boy's fangs were just… _damn_.

"Great, just what every guy wants to hear." Beast Boy muttered.

"If anyone's got it bad, it's me." Speedy continued. "I mean, come on! Donna's a demigod or something, and I'm a former addict single father who's good with a bow. Pipe. Dream."

"At least people don't look at you like you're a freak!" Beast Boy shot back, unknowingly causing Raven's heart to break, just a little.

"Yeah!" Kid Devil yelled his assent. "You've got it easy!" For a few painfully awkward moments, silence reigned.

"So…" Beast Boy started in his up-to-no-good voice. "We all know which girl is the best looking, right?"

"If you're trying to start an argument, it's not going to work." Speedy replied simply.

"How about this then?" Eddie offered. "Let's go feature by feature."

"Fine by me." Beast Boy answered. "Roy?"

"...Fine." Speedy grudgingly acquiesced. "Donna has the best bone structure, and I'm ready to die on that hill."

"I'll give you that one," Kid Devil conceded. "But Rose definitely has the best hair; long, silky and platinum blonde, unbeatable. Gar?" This was it, she'd finally learn who the heck Beast Boy was so infatuated with.

"Eyes." He answered plainly. "They're dark, they're mysterious, don't even _try_ to fight me on this one." Damn it! So close, and yet so far. "Now, are we gonna keep to the classy stuff, or are we gonna make this _interesting_?"

"Rose has the best… y'know." Kid Devil muttered, sounding embarrassed.

"Pervert." Speedy deadpanned. "But if we're going south of the neck, then I'm going shoulders, arms, belly, just the whole 'warrior woman' physique for Donna. Dick definitely has the right idea there with Kori."

"Well, I'd say we now know more about Roy's fetishes than we would have liked." Beast Boy chuckled. "And you guy already know what I'm gonna say."

"Legs." All three men said as one. And yet again, Raven was denied the information she craved.

"Well, I guess that means they're tied." Kid Devil said. "They're all equally beautiful."

"But there's one more big question guys…" Beast Boy said, sounding pensive. "Who has the best smile?"

"Donna." Speedy answered immediately, sounding utterly certain. "Bright, reassuring, full of affection."

"Have you _seen_ Rose smile?!" Kid Devil half-shouted, sounding outraged. "Cool, mischievous, and dead sexy."

"You're both way off." Beast Boy said in an authoritative tone. "Raven's smile is the the best, no contest." And just like that, the cold, empty feeling was gone, and Raven felt like she'd had her blood replaced by scalding hot coffee.

"How would you even know?" Speedy quipped. "Raven never smiles."

"Dude! That's what makes it so special!" Garfield (okay, maybe real names weren't _always_ too intimate) exclaimed. "You gotta work for it, but when she smiles, it's like the sun peeking through on a cloudy day. I could be having the worst day ever, but if I get to see that smile, it's like everything's okay."

"Garfield Logan, ladies and gentleman." Kid Devil said, sounding like a circus ringleader. "Shape-shifting, crime-fighting, and now poetry! Is there anything this young man can't do?"

"I can't get the girl." Gar sighed. "Never have, never will."

"Yeah, well there's a lot of that going around." Speedy muttered.

"Hey man, don't take this the wrong way but… why Raven?" Kid Devil asked, unknowingly giving voice to Raven's thoughts. "I mean, I get that she's smart, witty, good looking; but what else? Those qualities aren't exactly unique."

"She's kind." Gar stated simply. "She tries to hide it, but she is."

"Rose is the same." Kid Devil murmured.

"She's the bravest person I know." Gar said. "She fought her destiny and won; I can't even imagine doing something like that." Hearing Gar sing her praises left Raven feeling a little light-headed; if she wasn't careful, she'd get addicted. "What can I say? She's Raven. One of a kind."

"Fair enough." Speedy replied. There was another moment of silence, which Raven used as an opportunity to collect her thoughts. _She_ was the girl? The one Gar was infatuated with? She couldn't quite believe it. What was she going to do? Tell him how she felt? It was the logical answer, but the idea scared her witless.

" _Wise men say only fools rush in_ _ **,**_ _b_ _ut I can't help falling in love with you..._ " Gar began to sing, breaking the silence.

" _Shall I stay?_ _"_ Kid Devil picked up the tune.

" _Would it be a sin..."_ Speedy crooned.

" _If I can't help falling in love with you?"_ Raven finished, stepping into the room.

"R- _raven?!_ " Gar squeaked, looking like a deer in the headlights. "You _heard_ that?"

"I did." She growled. "Speedy! Kid Devil!" She snapped. "Out!"

"Yes ma'am!" They answered in unison, bolting out of the room.

"And as for you…" She snarled, closing in on a frightened-looking Gar… and pulling him into a hug.

"Uh… Raven?" Gar sounded confused. "Not that I mind, but why are you hugging me?"

"Because I heard how you feel about me," She answered simply. "And I'm too classy to just start making out with you before we even start dating."

"Y-you mean…?" Gar trailed off, his question sounding more like a prayer.

"Yes Gar, I mean 'awkwardly trail off into silence'." She answered sarcastically. "Now are you going to ask stupid questions, or are you going to hug me back?"

"Oh, definitely option two!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her. For a moment, they were silent, just enjoying each other's warmth, but then… "Okay guys, I can smell you out there! You might as well just come on in." Speedy and Kid Devil awkwardly filed in.

"We were just, uh…" Kid Devil trailed off, apparently unable to think of a decent excuse.

"Worried about you, man!" Speedy finished smoothly. "Raven looked _pissed_ , so we wanted to make sure she didn't hurt you or anything."

Raven sighed. "Roy, Donna's had a thing for you for at least a year. She hates Cheshire in a big way for having a kid with you, although she loves Lian, and hates her even more for abandoning you." The way Speedy's face lit up at this revelation made Raven wish she had a camera handy. "And Eddie, Rose once told me that if you ever change your costume to include a shirt, she thinks she might go back to being a villain, just so she can cut it off of you." Kid Devil's face was similarly illuminated. "As soon as you leave this room, I'll send them a message telling them what you said about them. I leave the rest up to you." She doubted that Kid Flash could have left any faster. "Now, she muttered. "Where were we?"

"Right about here." Gar grinned, pulling her into his arms.

"It won't be easy," She said after a minute. "Dating me, I mean."

"If I wanted easy," Gar replied. "I wouldn't be in this line of work. What I want is you, no matter what it takes."

"... So, you really like my legs that much?"


	2. Day 2

If you asked him, Garfield Logan wouldn't be able to explain why the list in front of him was so funny. Looking at it objectively, it should have raised a smirk, maybe even a chuckle. What it was getting out of him was uncontrollable laughter.

"Okay Gar, I give up," Raven sighed, strolling over to his side. "What's so funny?"

"It's this list!" Gar giggled, turning his laptop so his girlfriend could see.

"It's a list of… Nicknames?" Raven surmised, sounding puzzled.

" _Titans_ nicknames." Gar corrected. "They've got one for everybody!" With this, he scrolled up to the top of the list, showing a picture of Starfire knocking out Mammoth, captioned with the words 'Punchy Princess'.

"Well, it fits." Raven noted dryly. "I'll give them that much at least. What about Dick?"

"I was hoping you'd ask me that." Gar snickered, scrolling down to a picture of Nightwing taken from behind bearing the caption 'Ass Master', and causing Raven to snort with amusement. "Wait a minute Rae, that wasn't _laughter_ I heard from you?"

"Not yet." She deadpanned. "Vic?"

"Mister Broboto." Gar replied simply.

"That's _heinous_." Raven said. "Aqualad?"

"FISH ABS." Gar answered. "That's all capital letters, by the way." _That_ got a laugh out of Raven. Not a big one, but a laugh.

"Kid Devil?"

"Hot as Hell."

"Well that's just predictable." Raven muttered. "Pantha?"

"Buff furry."

"What about me?" Raven asked, and suddenly Gar started to wonder if this had been a good idea. After all, Raven could be sensitive about her demonic heritage, and her nickname was…

"Sexy Antichrist." Gar mumbled. "Or possibly Queen of the Goths."

"... Fair enough." Raven shrugged. "How about you?"

"Well, as much as I appreciate the small and vocal group who pushed for my nickname to be 'Best Boy', and even happier with the push for 'Sexy Beast', it looks like they ended up going with… oh." Gar's face fell as he saw the most popular nicknames for him.

"What is it?" Raven asked, using her 'I can tell that this upset you, so I'm going to be nice' voice.

"Well, it looks like the winning submission was 'My Pet Moron', beating out 'Booger Boy' and 'The Mascot' by just two percent of the vote." He answered glumly.

"...Ouch." Raven murmured sympathetically.

"Yeah," Gar sighed. "Ouch."

"We got kind of lousy nicknames, huh?" Raven noted.

"Big time." Gar agreed glumly.

"Well then, how about we make up our own?" Raven suggested, eliciting an honest-to-god double-take from Gar.

"You want me to come up with a nickname for you?" He asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Obviously you'll have to run it past me for approval." She shrugged.

"And you'll come up with one for me?" He inquired, an idea worming its way into his head.

""That's right." Raven stated simply.

"And' we'll address each other with these names?" He asked, growing insistent. "In front of other people?"

"That's typically the point of nicknames." She responded impassively.

"Raven…" Gar grinned like an idiot. "Did you just suggest that we give each other **pet names**?" He reveled in the way she almost-but-not-quite blushed.

"I suppose I did." She answered, her face a challenge.

"You have no idea what you've unleashed," He smirked. "Rae-rae."

" _Not_ that." She replied emphatically.

"No biggie," Garfield smirked. "I've got more, blackbird."

"Predictable," Raven deadpanned. "You can do better than that," She smirked. "My little emerald."

"Emerald?" He laughed. "And you thought _mine_ were bad? Okay, just to get them out of the way: crow, rook, and grackle."

"All awful, bright eyes."

"Bright eyes?" He asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I… really like your eyes, okay?" Raven snapped, suddenly unable to hold his gaze.

"Pretty bird." He offered.

"Green Arrow already uses that one on Black Canary." Raven pointed out helpfully. "I'd prefer some originality."

"Lady Legasus?" Gar snickered.

"Try it," Raven said, fixing him with a patented Raven Death-glare. "See what happens."

"What, no pet name for me?" He whined.

"I already know which one you want," She smirked. "But you'll have to earn it."

"Sure thing, witchy-poo." He knew that one was a dud before he said it, but he was having far too much fun not to throw it in. Raven didn't even say anything, she just stared at him in silent disbelief. "Kidding! I wasn't really thinking of using that one in public," He smirked, leaning in close. "My dearest _corrrr_ -vidae." He said in a voice like raw silk, rolling the 'r' for all it was worth.

"G-getting closer." Raven stuttered (stuttered!) a faint blush tinting her cheeks.

"Oh?" Gar smirked. "So you liked that one?"

"It was... interesting." She muttered, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Was it the rolling 'r' or the 'dearest'?" Garfield asked his newly flustered girlfriend. "Or do you just like it when I talk nerdy to you?"

"A little bit of everything?" She replied hopefully.

"Well then, I think I have it figured out." He smirked, leaning in even closer so that his fang brushed against her ear. "My sublime, enchanting _Morrrr_ -igan." He saw the blush spread across her features, heard her heartbeat speed up and, phrasing the matter as delicately as possible, smelled the pheromones indicating her… excitement. "Does that work for you?"

"When did you learn about Celtic mythology?" She asked accusingly.

"I may or may not have looked up the various mythologies surrounding ravens _specifically_ to flirt with you." He replied, raising one eyebrow. "And a figure typically associated with darkness and misfortune that, when you do a little more reading, can be about victory, strength and wisdom seemed appropriate."

"And sublime?" She asked teasingly. "Since when did you know words like that?"

"Trawling an online dictionary to find the right word for you." He replied simply. "Beautiful, wild, uncontrollable and awe-inspiring? I'd say it fits." He grinned cheekily. "And you never answered my question; does it work for you?"

"A little too well, actually." She replied. "I'd rather not blush in front of everyone; I have an image to maintain."

"Then I guess I'll just stick to calling you 'Rae' when we're in public." Garfield shrugged.

"And I'll just call you 'Gar'." Raven said decisively. "But, you know, that's only for in public. You can still call me that when we're alone together…" She purred. "Beast Man."


	3. Day 3

Under normal circumstances, Raven cherished opportunities to spend time alone with Gar. To talk, to be pleasantly surprised every time she had a real conversation with him, stunned by just how much there was beneath the surface. Not to mention less cerebral pursuits, because _damn_ was that boy a looker. These weren't normal circumstances, these were more in the vein of 'separated from the team by an ambush' circumstances, with a hearty portion of 'trying to keep Gar alive'.

"I think this might be it for me, Morrigan." He rasped, using his private pet name for her.

"You're going to be fine, Beast Man." Raven replied in kind, not really believing herself. "The wound's not that bad."

"Which one?" He croaked, grinning bitterly. "The gutshot, the stab wound in my leg, or the third degree burns?"

"Okay, so it's bad." Raven admitted. "You're still going to make it, and you know why?" She asked, turning her entire being towards healing him.

"Okay, I'll bite; why am I gonna make it?" Gar asked, his voice growing weaker by the second.

"Because I won't let you die." She replied vehemently. "I don't care what it takes, I won't let it end like this!" Tears began to sting her eyes. "I'm going to stabilise you until the others get here, we'll take you back to the infirmary, and you'll be back to bragging about how your girlfriend has the best legs before you know it."

"Sounds like a plan," Garfield chuckled, coughing up blood as he did so. "But just in case, there's something I gotta say before I pass out."

"Don't try to talk," Raven scolded him gently, almost pleading. "Save your strength."

"Sorry babe," Gar replied, his voice barely audible. "You'll have to try harder than that if you wanna shut me up." His expression turned serious. "I _need_ to say this, okay?"

Okay." Raven replied, her voice ragged. "Go ahead." His injuries were even worse than she'd thought: the gutshot had ruptured his small intestine and grazed his spine, the knife had nicked his femoral artery, his burns covered more than she'd seen at first, and those were just the injuries she'd already known about. He also had three cracked ribs, a bruised liver and a concussion. Raven had a black eye, and it doesn't take a genius to guess the reason for the disparity in their injuries.

"I've wanted to tell you this for a while but it was never the right time," He began. "I guess this'll just have to do." Another rueful chuckle. More blood. "At least we're **alone together** , so Rust Bucket can't make fun of me."

"Tell me what?" Raven asked, trying desperately to heal him faster than her strength dissipated, and terrified that this might be the last conversation she ever had with the man who meant more to her than anyone else.

"That I love you." He replied simply, causing Raven's heart to skip a beat and her powers to surge slightly. She'd already known of course; she was an empath, after all. But somehow, hearing him say it aloud made it seem more real, as though it had just been a dream until he put it into words. "I was gonna ask you to marry me one of these days." Empath or not, _that_ came as a surprise, adding another extremely welcome spike to her powers. "Had the ring picked out and everything…" And with that, Garfield Logan, known to the world as Beast Boy (although he'd been talking about changing his name), lost consciousness, his heartbeat ceasing under Raven's hands even as she desperately tried to heal him…

"No." Raven stated simply, with the quiet confidence of someone explaining exactly what's going to happen. "I told you I wouldn't let you die, and I meant it." She poured every last shred of power she had into his body. "You don't get to say something like that and just _die_!" She felt her power run dry, only to be replaced by something else. "Who do you think you're dealing with?!" Her teeth grew and shifted, becoming razor-sharp fangs. "I don't care if I have to drag your soul screaming from the afterlife!" Her nails lengthened into claws. "I won't let you die without ever telling you that I love you!" Two slits appeared above her eyes, wodening to reveal a second set, glowing red. " _Garfield Mark Logan, you owe me a fucking proposal!_ "

Drawing power from her darker emotions, Raven felt his wounds begin to heal. The bullet in his belly ejected itself almost as fast as it had entered his body, causing a streetlight to explode in a shower of sparks. But Raven was fading fast; she probably only had another fifteen seconds or so before she passed out. The trauma to his spine faded and vanished, his femoral artery sealed itself, but his heart still wasn't beating. New blood began to replace wat he'd lost, his concussion disappeared as though it had never existed, but his heart still wasn't beating. Raven was down to the merest dregs of power left at her disposal, but _his heart still wasn't beating!_

Just like that, she was completely drained; so utterly devoid of energy that even remaining conscious was too much. Her body went limp, her vision began to go dark. She fell forward into obliviousness, her head resting against Gar's chest. And in her very last moment of awareness, she heard a sound so beautiful that she drifted into the void not knowing if she'd imagined it.

 _Thu-thump, thu-thump..._


	4. Day 4

Beast Boy opened his eyes, something he was pleasantly surprised by. After all, when somebody loses consciousness due to blood loss in an alley, they don't exactly expect to wake up. He was in a _lot_ of pain, which made sense, all things considered. But he was familiar with pain; on a scale that included his time with Doctor Register, this rated as a five out of ten, six when he moved too suddenly.

"Dude," He moaned to nobody in particular. "What happened?"

"Nothin' good, Grass Stain." Vic answered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Blood loss, fractures, burns… you're lucky to be alive." Beast Boy looked around the dark infirmary, seeing Raven in the bed next to his.

"Is Raven okay?" He asked the instant he saw her. "She's not hurt, is she?"

"Is Raven- Is _Raven okay_?!" Victor spluttered incredulously. "You have a brush with death and you're worried about her?" He shook his head, smiling to himself. "She's fine man; a couple bruises and a bad case of exhaustion." He smiled reassuringly. "She just needs a little rest, B."

"Healing me must've taken everything she had." Beast Boy murmured. "She said she wouldn't let me die." Suddenly, a spectre of recollection reared its ugly head. "Oh no…" He groaned.

"What's wrong, man?" His best friend asked, concern, possibly even panic, in his voice.

"I can't believe I told her all that!" The changeling whimpered.

"Told who?" Vic enquired, sounding equal parts worried and annoyed.

"Raven!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"...Well damn, now I'm just curious." Victor shrugged. "So what'd you tell her, Grass Stain?"

"I told her that I love her." He groaned.

"Okay, Am I missing something?" Victor asked after a moment of confused silence. "Because I don't see what the problem is."

"She's gonna freak out when she wakes up!" Beast Boy exclaimed angrily. "I can't believe I just sprang it on her like that!"

"Seriously, B?" Victor scoffed. "You're worried that your girlfriend, _the empath_ might not have been ready for you to use the 'L' word?"

"She probably wasn't ready for me to start talking about marrying her!" Beast Boysquealed.

"You're not wrong." Raven deadpanned.

"Raven?!" Gar squeaked "You're awake?"

"And that's my cue to leave." Vic muttered, leaving slightly faster than Gar felt was necessary.

"Did he seriously just bail on you?" Raven asked.

"Yep, he bailed." Gar confirmed.

"Some friend he is." Raven muttered shaking her head. "So… are you okay?"

"Not too bad," Gar shrugged, wincing as he did so. "I'm not doing too great, but I'll live. You okay?"

"Just tired." Raven replied simply. "You took my beating for me, remember?"

"Vaguely." Gar chuckled.

"Well… I guess we'd better address the elephant in the room."

"I can't shapeshift until I've healed properly," Gar stated bluntly. "Otherwise I'd be an elephant right now."

"Of course you would," Raven rolled her eyes. "Because Azar forbid you actually take this seriously."

"You want serious?" Gar asked, taking his girlfriend's words as a challenge. "Fine, let's get serious. We're in the infirmary, and Vic's probably eavesdropping, but who cares?"

"If he is, he'll regret it." Raven replied, a warning for their friend. After a moment, they heard the sound of an extremely heavy man running away on feet made of metal. "Victor's gone, and so is your excuse to avoid awkward conversations."

"Fine," Gar groaned; he _really_ wasn't ready for this conversation. "What's first?"

"You nearly died." Raven said flatly. "You nearly got yourself killed being an overly sentimental idiot."

"They said they were demon hunters!" "Gar responded, trying his best not to let his irritation show. "They landed a hit on you, and I went kind of nuts, okay? It wasn't a conscious decision."

"It was one sloppy punch." Raven pointed out. "They weren't exactly cutting me to ribbons."

"My instincts didn't seem to care." Gar shrugged. "And honestly, I agree with them."

"It was stupid and reckless!" Raven snapped.

"And burning yourself out to heal me wasn't?" He shot back. "Besides, we both know that isn't the real issue here."

"You're right," Raven agreed. "It's not. When you were… injured, you said that you loved me." She blushed faintly; god, he loved that blush. It was something that the rest of the world didn't get to see, a moment of openness, a reminder that, around him, she felt comfortable letting her guard down almost completely. "And, well… did you mean it?"

"Can't you tell?" Gar asked, genuinely confused. "You're an empath, after all."

"I need to hear you _say_ it." Raven said, almost pleading.

"I meant every word of it." Gar replied simply. "I love you, and I'll keep saying it as many times as you want me to."

"And the other thing?" Raven asked, her voice hopeful and her face terrified. "Did you mean that too?"

"...Screw it." Gar shrugged. "I wish I could've gotten this right, but hey, why start now, am I right?" He hoisted himself off of the infirmary bed, wincing as various body parts lodged complaints. "No time like the present." He felt the wound in his thigh reopen as he lowered himself to one knee. "Raven, I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?" At first she was silent, and Gar felt himself beginning to worry that he might have made a mistake.

"Yes." She whispered. "Yes!" She threw her arms around him. "I love you too, so much it feels like I'm going crazy." She kissed him, soft and chaste. "Of course I'll marry you." Another kiss, considerably less innocent. "And if you weren't still injured, I'd rip that hospital gown right off of you and-"

"Rae, as much as I'd love to hear the end of that sentence," Beast Boy reluctantly interrupted his fiancee (fiancee!). "We've got an audience." He pointed to the door, where Kori, Dick and Victor stood.

"Oh no," Their leader smirked. "Don't let us stop you. Just pretend we're not here."

"Dude, **it's 3 AM**!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "Why are you guys even awake?"

"I asked Vic to tell me when you guys were awake." Dick replied.

"And I was awoken due to my being asleep beside boyfriend Richard after a vigorous session of lovemaking!" Kori offered cheerfully, causing Dick to blush to the roots of his hair. Kori had once told Beast Boy in confidence that she knew how much it flustered Dick when she was candid about the physical side of their relationship, which was why she was so candid about it in the first place.

"I was going to ask you for information on your attackers, but the debriefing can wait until morning." Nightwing said, clearly eager to change the subject.

"It sounds to me like you already got some _debriefing_ done while we were out cold." Beast Boy snickered.

"And it sounds to _me_ ," Victor interjected. "Like Raven was planning to do a little debriefing of her own." Beast Boy could feel himself blushing.

"Oh, what glorious news!" Kori exclaimed, flying in and sweeping Beast Boy into a hug like a hydraulic press.

"Star," Raven said levelly. "If you don't mind, I'd rather you didn't suffocate my fiancee."

"Oh!" Starfire released him. "My apologies friend Garfield, I did not mean to cause you harm!"

"It's cool." Beast Boy croaked.

"I guess congratulations are in order." Dick began, smiling earnestly. "We're all happy for you."

"You won't be happy for long," Beast Boy snickered. "After all, you've got a lot of explaining to do when Star starts to wonder why We got engaged before you did." And just like that, their fearless leader went white as a sheet.

"I, uhh… I should go." Dick stammered nervously. "You guys need your rest." And with that, he bolted, with Kori in hot pursuit.

"Two down," Beast Boy smirked. "One to go."

"You ain't shiftin' me that easy, Grass Stain," Victor grinned. "Unlike Bird Boy, _I_ don't turn tail and run from unexpected emotional intimacy."

"Vic," Raven began, her tone patient. "You know I care about you."

"Same to you, Rae," Victor smiled warmly. "You're like my little sister."

"I know," Raven nodded. "I'm counting on it. Because if you don't give us some privacy until morning, I'll begin to describe Garfield and my sex life." She sounded deadly serious. "In graphic detail."

"You wouldn't dare," Victor replied, narrowing his eyes. "That'd be getting _way_ too personal, and you don't _do_ personal."

"Gar does," Raven replied simply. "And I'm giving him permission to do so effective immediately."

Beast Boy grinned evilly as his best friend turned to face him, fear in his eyes. "You know I'll do it."

"You win, you win!" Vic shouted in a panic, backing out the door.

"We're way too good at messing with them." Gar noted.

"Absolutely." Raven agreed. "This sort of power is sure to corrupt us."

"You sure it hasn't already done that?" Gar shot back.

"You might have a point." She smirked. "So…"

"So…" Gar chuckled. "What now?"

"I'll be blunt;" Raven replied. "I'm thinking that I'd prefer a long engagement."

"Works for me," Gar shrugged, trying and failing to keep a huge, giddy grin off of his face. "I wouldn't want you to rush into anything."

"And I'll want to see this ring you've 'already picked out' before you buy it." She stated plainly.

"Makes sense." Gar nodded. "After all, you'll be the one wearing it."

"I suppose we'll have to tell Titans East and all the others." Raven said, seemingly going through an internal checklist."

"Heck, tell the villains while we're at it." Gar joked.

"But for now," Raven said. "I say we get some sleep in a bed that's actually comfortable. Mine, for example."

"It's like you read my mind." Gar grinned, throwing one arm over her shoulder.

"And just to be clear," Raven said, her tone carrying the merest hint of mischeif. "I retain the right to act on my previously-stated intentions vis a vis that hospital gown."

"Thank god I heal so fast."


	5. Day 5

The words 'easily intimidated' had, as far as Raven knew, never been used to describe her and for good reason. After all she had, in her career as a hero thus far, faced off against super-strong monsters, deranged mages, and all manner of criminals. She'd done battle with Slade, a dragon, her father, and the physical embodiment of her own fear. If it was in her nature to, when met with a dire situation, lose all composure and fold like cheap lawn furniture then she'd be very, very dead.

But, walking up to the front door of Dayton Manor, she was feeling pretty intimidated. After all, she'd never really cared what criminals, aliens or even her father thought of her, but her fiancee's _parents_? Well, that was another story.

"You don't need to be nervous, Rae." Gar whispered reassuringly.

"I'm not nervous!" Raven snapped, scowling slightly, knowing exactly how little Gar believed her. "...What if they don't like me?" She asked quietly.

"Well, I don't care super hard what Mento thinks, and Rita's gonna love you." Gar responded simply, infuriatingly relaxed about the whole situation.

"Really?" Raven scoffed. "Rita's going to love that her baby boy's shacked up with a demon?"

"She already knows about that, Morrigan." Gar chuckled, casually dropping her pet name. "It's the engagement that she's in the dark about."

"You're about to walk through that door and tell your mother that you've decided to marry a monster." Raven groaned. "I'm a dead woman."

"Relax." Gar laughed. "Apart from anything else, the Doom Patrol's got pretty high standards for what constitutes a monster. They wouldn't even get out of bed for a half-demonic empath wearing an engagement ring." That made Raven feel a little better. Not a lot, but enough.

"Garfield!" Rita exclaimed as they walked in. "It's so good to see you!" With that, she swept him up into a hug. Raven couldn't help but smile as she saw the simple joy on Gar's face; he hadn't seen Rita face-to-face since the whole Brotherhood of Evil debacle. "And where do you think you're going?" Rita called out as Raven tried to walk past, pulling her into the hug as well.

"I told you so." Gar smirked.

"Told her what?" Rita asked.

"That you'd love her." Gar grinned smugly.

"Well, you've always been smarter about feelings than you were about… y'know, being smart." Robotman quipped, pulling Gar into a bear hug of his own.

"One more thing than you've ever been smart about." Negative Man noted in a flat monotone, laying a hand awkwardly on Gar's shoulder. "It's good to see you, by the way."

"Good to see you too!" Gar laughed, knocking Negative Man's hand off his shoulder and going in for a hug.

"Good to see him, huh?" Robotman muttered sulkily. "I didn't get no 'goog to see ya', I see how it is." He huffed dramatically, an impressive feat for a robot with a steam-shovel jaw.

"Good," Gar deadpanned. "Then I don't need to waste time explaining. So…" His smile faltered, just for a moment. "Where's Mento?" Mento. Not 'dad', not even 'Steve', just 'Mento'.

"Oh, he's a little busy right now…" Rita said delicately. "But if there's anything you need to talk to him about, you can always chat over dinner!" She finished brightly.

"That'll work." Gar shrugged.

"Oh, but Raven!" And just like that, Rita was upon her. "We've so much to talk about! Has my baby boy been treating you right?" There was a hint of menace in her voice there, directed, if his sudden look of discomfort was any indicator, at Gar.

"A little clueless sometimes," Raven shrugged. "But apart from that he's been a perfect gentleman."

"I should hope so!" Rita exclaimed. "If he wasn't, I'd start to worry I might have raised him wrong! Now," She leaned in conspiratorially. "Would you like to see some pictures of Garfield back when he first came into our care?"

"More than you can possibly imagine." Raven replied, her tone deadly serious and her face betraying the fun she expected to have at Gar's expense.

Half an hour later, that devious little smirk had been wiped off her face, replaced by a look of horror, tears gathering in her eyes. "How could anyone do that to him?" She demanded, her voice ragged.

"Surely Garfield told you about his life before he became a hero?" Rita enquired.

"There's a big difference between hearing something and seeing it for yourself." Raven whimpered, wishing she'd never seen those damned photos. He was so _thin_! And pale! "He's always danced around the details anyway; I knew the basics, I'd seen the scars but…

"I'm afraid Garfield's had a hard life indeed." Rita murmured, her tone solemn. "And if I'm being honest, it didn't get all that much easier when he met us." Raven could feel guilt radiating off of Rita like heat. "We took the poor boy and made him fight for us."

"From what he told me, it was Gar's choice." Raven replied simply. "He would have become a hero on his own; he can't know that people need help and do nothing. You taught him how to survive, and you gave him a family."

"I'm so glad he met you." Rita half-said, half-sobbed, her mascara beginning to run. "You and the other Titans were the best thing that could have happened to him." She laid a hand on Raven's shoulder. "You especially."

"I'm not so sure about that," Raven mumbled, blushing faintly. "I was pretty hard on him at first."

"And now the two of you are in love." Rita countered. "Now, I'd say dinner should be just about done, so if you don't mind, I need a minute to fix my makeup."

Dinner, as it turned out, was a red bean curry with naan bread; in a word, delicious. The atmosphere, however, left something to be desired. The tension between Gar and Mento was palpable; every attempt Gar made at small talk withered under Mento's stare.

"I trust you are in good health." Mento said stiffly.

"Yes, sir." Gar replied, sounding small and nervous.

"You've been performing your duties adequately?" He asked.

"Exceptionally." Raven interjected. "He saved my life not long ago."

"Well then," And with this, Mento surprised everyone (Raven could tell for obvious reasons) by removing his helmet. "It looks like you've become quite the formidable young man, Garfield." There was something different about how he said Gar's name that time, a warmth that had previously been absent. "I know I don't really show it, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you…" He hesitated for a moment. "Son." Raven could feel Gar's emotions go a little haywire; evidently, he hadn't been expecting that.

"I'm marrying Raven." He blurted out awkwardly. That certainly got a reaction; Rita's aura was filled with delight, Mento's with shock, Robotman's with amusement, and Negative Man's with… satisfaction?

"Oh, Garfield!" Rita exclaimed, pulling Gar into a hug to rival Starfire's very best. "I can't believe my little baby's grown up so fast!"

"Garfield's… engaged?" Mento muttered, staring blankly at nothing in particular.

"The kid's engaged." Negative Man said plainly, holding his hand out to Robotman. "Pay up."

"Yeah, yeah…" Robotman scowled, taking out his wallet. "Damn kid, unless… You ain't expectin', are ya?" He asked Raven bluntly.

"Nope." Raven replied simply.

"Dammit, I had fifty bucks on a shotgun wedding." Robotman growled.

"Good to know you think so highly of me." Gar deadpanned.

"Garfield… _My son_ , is engaged…" Mento murmured, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. "Everything that he's been through, that I've _put_ him through, and he's just grown up so very fine…" Suffice to say that _nobody_ had been expecting that.

"Do I have your blessing?" Gar asked nervously.

"Of course!" Mento exclaimed. "I'm just glad you've found someone to share your life with. I know I wasn't much of a father while you were with us, and I'm sorry, but I'll be damned if I let myself get in the way of your happiness!"

"Well, I think it might be a good idea to give them a few minutes." Rita said tactfully, leading Raven out by the elbow. "Besides, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, dear."

A minute later they were in the drawing room. "Okay, what did you want to talk to me about?" Raven asked.

"Well, dear, I'd like to start by saying that I'm happy for you, and I'm sure you'll be good to my boy." Raven could feel Rita's sincerity.

"Thank you," Raven replied earnestly. "That means a lot to me."

"That being said," And suddenly, Rita wasn't smiling anymore. "If you ever hurt my baby…" She grew, not a lot, but enough to make her point.

"Okay," Raven sighed. "I understand that you're just looking out for Gar, but I've fought _Trigon_ and lived to tell the tale. Don't try to threaten me. That being said, I can promise you that I have no intentions of hurting Gar."

"Do you love him?" Rita asked sternly.

"With all my heart," Raven replied simply. "And even more."

"Then I wish you all the best." Rita said, all smiles again as she pulled raven into a hug.

The rest of the evening passed fairly peacefully after that, and before too long it was time to go home. At the gate, Mento held out his hand after a moment of hesitation, and Raven realised that he hadn't made physical contact with Gar, the man he considered his son, all evening. "Good luck," He said solemnly. "Son." Gar looked as his hand for a moment before slapping it aside and hugging his father the way a child would.

"Thanks," He murmured into Mento's chest. "Dad." And with that, they left.

"I told you so." Gar chirped happily a few minutes later.

"You were right," Raven shrugged. "It went well." She grinned evilly. "But don't get too comfortable, Beast Man; next up is _your turn_ to meet the **in-laws** ".


	6. Day 6

Changeling (he'd finally changed his name!) was in a lousy mood. Not a 'snap at anyone who got close' kind of mood, or even a 'complain loudly to anyone who'll listen' kind of mood; no, he was in a 'supposed to have married the love of his life by now but the Justice League Dark requested her assistance the day before their wedding and she'd been gone for a week' kind of mood. So yeah, lousy.

"Hey, Grass Stain!" Vic bellowed from outside his bedroom (which he hadn't actually used for months). "You wanna do anything? Like, at all?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Changeling replied sullenly.

"Well I'd say it's pretty obvious you _ain't_ fine, seein' as how you've been in there all day." Vic responded patiently.

"Well, maybe I just feel like having a lazy day." Changeling countered. "I've been working hard lately."

"Not really!" Vic shouted back. "We haven't had anything serious for about a month."

"Seriously?" Changeling asked. "That long? Well now I just feel unnecessary!"

"Look buddy, Bird Boy's been cuttin' you a lot of slack on trainin', and right now I'm startin' to think he made a mistake!" That caught Changeling off guard. "You need somethin' to do, little buddy!"

"No thanks!" He yelled back. "I think I'll just take a nap!" And with that, almost as if he'd spoken some magic word, the alarm sounded. "Or maybe I'll suit up and fight crime, that works too."

As it turned out, it was Doctor Light, apparently emboldened by Raven's absence. "Cower and tremble, Titans!" He declared boldly. "Without that demonic _bitch_ , you've no protection from the light!"

"What did you call Raven?" Changeling whispered, shaking with rage. "Did you just call her a bitch?"

"Oh no…" Nightwing whimpered.

"He done goofed." Cyborg opined.

"Friend Changeling," Starfire began cautiously. "Please don't forget that you are a hero!"

"I won't lie, doc." Gar warned. "This is gonna hurt." And with that, he transformed into a tiger and pounced. Of course Doctor light fired a blast at him, Gar wasn't stupid enough not to see that coming. But he'd been sitting on a trick for just such and occasion. He wasn't entirely sure if it would work, but he was far too angry to care. He began to shift again almost as soon as he pounced, turning into a tardigrade. Tardigrades weren't really a form he got a lot of use out of; tiny, almost completely helpless creature: no hard shell, no sharp teeth, no social structure. What they did have, however, was a truly astonishing range of resistances. They could survive without air, withstand heat and cold beyond what could be found anywhere on Earth, and even shrug off extreme radiation and gamma ray bursts. In fact, he'd heard the joke that if a Tardigrade ever went up against a predator that hunted exclusively using lasers, it would be invincible.

He felt the heat of Doctor Light's blast, but he seemed largely unharmed as, the instant he felt the heat dissipate, he shifted back into his human form and proceeded to declare an all-out war on Doctor Light's face. And stomach. And groin. Mostly groin. "Dang," Victor said in a small, quiet voice. "That was... something."

"I'll let you clean up, boss." Changeling muttered flatly as he walked past Nightwing. "I'm going home."

"No you're not." Nightwing replied matter-of-factly, grabbing Changeling by the arm. "We're getting pizza, and then we're seeing a movie." He tightened his grip on Changeling's shoulder, just a little. "That's an order."

"And if I refuse?" Changeling replied, daring Nightwing to make something of it.

"Then I will be led to believe that you no longer enjoy our friendship, friend Changeling." Starfire interjected, her eyes wide.

"I… you… fine." Gar relented. "You know that's not fair, right?"

"I don't know _what_ you mean, friend Changeling." Starfire replied cheerfully, if not convincingly.

Gar had to admit; pizza with friends turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. "Thanks guys," He said sheepishly after polishing off his fifth slice. "I needed this."

"We noticed." Vic shot back drily.

"Yeah, we figured you were in a pretty bad way." Dick agreed. "Complaining is one thing, but when you go all quiet, we start to worry."

"It is not wise to shut yourself off like this, friend Garfield." Kori warned. "If you are unhappy then please, let us help you."

"I know," He sighed. "I just don't want to worry you guys."

"Hey man, you're my best friend," Vic said, laying a hand on Gar's shoulder. "And that means I'm always gonna worry about you, especially when you lock yourself in your room for a week. Now, are you gonna talk about it or not?"

"I'm supposed to be married." Gar mumbled. "Not waiting for my fiance to come home."

"I know, man." Vic replied, a frown on his face. "But you can't do this to yourself. You think this is what Raven wants? For you to spend a week **silently pining** after her, barely even _eating_?" He looked Gar dead in the eye. "Come on, buddy." He said, a faint smile on his face. "Let's go watch a crappy monster movie."

It was, without question, a crappy movie. The script was nonsensical, the acting was all either wooden or hammy, and the effects would have been an embarrassment in the thirties. It was perfect. "Oh my god!" Gar squealed with laughter as the (underacting) hero did battle with the sea-demon (who looked like a scuba diver covered in offcuts from the fish market). "This is the dumbest thing I've ever seen!"

"It is certainly unconvincing." Kori agreed.

"You know what the really funny part is?" Dick asked, smirking hugely. "People got paid to make this. This garbage actually made someone richer."

"It made the world richer!" Gar exclaimed, flailing his arms wildly. "The world is a better place because this movie exists!" He devolved into laughter, actually falling off the couch. "Hahaha… wow. Thanks guys." He said, smiling at nothing in particular. "I think I'm gonna be alright."

As if on cue, Raven's scent abruptly made itself known to him, albeit mixed with a few unfamiliar scents that he classified as 'occult stuff'. "Where is Gar?!" Her voice seemed to split through the air, very firmly planted in 'raging, demonic frenzy' territory. "Bring me the booty!" Wait, _what_?

"I, uh, guess she missed you too." Dick joked nervously.

"I swear _upon all that is holy, I will tear this tower apart brick by brick if I have to_!" Raven's voice grew nearer.

"I would say that friend Raven has missed you very dearly." Kori opined, smiling knowingly. "Forgive me for prying, but had you perhaps refrained from the making of love leading up to your wedding date?"

"We, uh, wanted it to be special." Gar muttered, blushing hugely.

"Well, it would appear that this decision may have been in error." Kori noted. "I wish you luck, friend Garfield, for I fear you may need it."

"There you are!" Raven exclaimed approximately two inches from Gar's ear. "Mine." With that, she flipped him around and pulled him into a truly ferocious kiss.

"Rae, I… wow." He stammered, grinning like an idiot.

"You!" She snarled at the other Titans. "Leave. If you stay in the tower you'll hear things you don't want to."

"Raven," Dick began, slipping into 'leader mode'. "Your rooms are both soundproofed."

"I know." Raven growled. "You'll still hear things."

"Jesus, Grass Stain!" Vic exclaimed. "What have you been _doing_ to this girl?"

"Stay here to find out." Gar smirked, right before Raven teleported him onto her bed.

Something like three and a half _very_ demanding hours later, Raven spoke in a more coherent manner (horny Raven bordered an unhinged and talked like a cheap harlequin romance; she was not to be trusted). "I missed you."

"I noticed." Gar croaked, gently prodding at one of the various scratches that now covered his body. "I missed you too."

"The mission with the JLD was rough." Raven said in her flat, trying-to-stay-in-control voice.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Gar asked tentatively.

"No." Raven replied simply.

"Well, do you want me to hold you?" He offered.

"Yes." Raven nodded, burrowing into his embrace.

"I can do that." Gar grinned, holding her close, and reflecting on how lucky he was to have her.


	7. Day 7

As fights go, this one had been on the easier end of the spectrum. The 'Demon hunters' they'd gone up against were embarrassingly deficient in terms of training _and_ morale, and had only lasted around two minutes. The clean-up, on the other and, was the sort of pain in the ass that can only be achieved by a dozen fanatics armed with big guns that they didn't actually know how to use.

"You okay, Rae?" Gar asked Raven.

"I'm fine," She replied. "Not even a black eye this time."

"I know!" Her husband chuckled. "No black eye for you, no life-threatening injuries for me; I think these guys lost their touch!"

"Scum!" One of the dispatched zealots howled, spitting in Gar's face. "How can you bear the touch of that _creature_?"

"Very easily!" Gar replied cheerfully, forcing Raven to suppress a smile.

"You lie down with a demon?" The hapless fool demanded. "By _choice_?"

"Every night." Raven interjected. "And not just to sleep."

"You've damned him!" The madman shrieked. "Who could possibly be welcomed in the kingdom of heaven with carnal knowledge of a _demon_?!" That one hurt just a little more than it should have.

"I'll take my chances." Gar replied.

"You fool!" The self-proclaimed demon hunter hissed. "You're soul shall spend an eternity in hell!"

"Have you _seen_ her legs?" Gar joked. "Worth it."

"You think she loves you?" The lunatic scoffed. "An abomination like her isn't _capable_ of such a thing!" That one hurt a _lot_ more than it should have. "Run, before she corrupts your soul beyond redemption and destroys all that is good in y-"

" _ **I never asked to be like this!**_ " Raven howled, tears in her eyes. "You think I _want_ to be this way?!" And with that, she teleported away.

It just wasn't _fair_! She helped people every day, she cared about her friends, she loved Gar so much, but none of that could change the fact that she was a demon. It couldn't stop people from viewing her with hatred and fear, and it couldn't change… _that_. She'd only worked with the Justice League Dark for a week, and yet, months later, she couldn't forget what she'd seen. So much blood…

"Hey there Morrigan." Gar murmured, walking into her room. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No." She replied curtly.

"Okay." He sighed, sitting down next to her, the matress sinking slightly under his weight. For a minute they sat in complete silence, Raven counting down the seconds until Gar inevitably broke it.

"It's not just what he said." Raven blurted out, not quite believing that she broke first.

"I didn't think it was." Gar shrugged.

"It's because of that job with the JLD," She went on. "I… saw some things."

"So," Gar replied. "You're finally ready to talk about it."

"They wanted my help because, well…" She hesitated; was it really a good idea to tell Gar about this? "Because they were tracking my brother."

"You have a brother?" Gar asked, surprise colouring his aura.

"Half-brother actually." Raven corrected. "Seven that I know about, probably a lot more."

"And I'm guessing your half-brothers don't share your keen sense of right and wrong." Gar said.

"They're sadistic monsters," Raven confirmed bluntly. "And one of them was loose." She shuddered at the memory. "He'd been on a killing spree. There wasn't even any reason for it; he was just killing people because he could."

"I know where this is going," Gar began. "And I'm stopping it before it starts." He laid his hands gently on either side of Raven's head and looked her dead in the eyes. "Listen to me; you aren't your brother. You're not your brother, or your father, you're Raven."

"Raven the half demon." She whimpered. "It's only a matter of time until I lose control; evil is just a part of me."

"Okay honey," Gar began, and somehow 'honey' calmed Raven down, just a little, through how utterly mundane it was. "I'm about to go in a seriously lame direction with this, so bear with me, alright?" And with that, he took out his communicator and typed furiously. "This," His communicator displayed a picture of a huge, red-skinned man with horns broken down to stubs and a massive stone fist. "Is Hellboy."

"Gar, that's a comic book character." Raven pointed out.

"Hey, I said bear with me, didn't I?" Gar had that twinkle in his eye that told Raven that this was either going to be incredibly stupid, or astonishinly insightful. "Hellboy's the son of a demon and a witch, and he's a hero. Even though he needs to hide away from the world, even though there are people who think he's going to cause the apocalypse, he still saves people. This," The screen now showed an image of a katana-weilding young man with messy black hair, wreathed in blue flames and with little horns and fangs. "Is Ren Okumara. He's the son of Satan, and he's a hero."

"And an anime character." Raven muttered, more to herself than anything else.

"The organisation he works for don't trust him, but he still saves people. He's been insulted, attacked, even threatened with execution, and he doesn't care. And this," An image of a black-skinned figure with huge horns. "Is a Tiefling. They're a playable race in Dungeons and Dragons."

"Seriously?" Raven demanded. "You're using D&D to support your argument?"

"I know," He shrugged. "It's stupid. But it's what I've got, and I'm using it. Tieflings are the descendants of demons. Or devils. Or daemons."

"It sounds like your game has too many types of demon." Raven quipped.

"Look, that's not the important part; they're the descendants of demons, and they have _no allignment restrictions_." He looked smug.

"I'm sorry, but was there a point to all this?" Raven asked, genuinely confused.

"I was kind of hoping I'd come up with one by the time I finished." Gar chuckled nervously. "Best I can offer right now is that, to me at least, half-demon never meant evil." He smiled warmly and lay a hand on her shoulder. "The way I figure it, you have the same choice as anybody else, it's just… more important for you."

"No." Raven intoned simply. "No, this is not happening. I refuse to be swayed by an argument that uses Dungeons and Dragons as its lynchpin!" She had to fight back the laughter she felt welling up; th whole thing was just too absurd.

"It's a _metaphooor_!" Gar whined, pushing Raven over te edge and causing her to succumb, allowing a burst of laughter to escape. "Not my best work?" He asked jokingly.

"Not really." Raven confirmed. "But I understand what you're trying to say." She rested her head aginst his shoulder. "You're telling me that you believe in me."

"Not quite," Gar corrected her, kissing the top of her head lightly. "I'm telling you that I believe in you, and so do thousands of geeks." He wrapped his arms around her, and she let herself melt into the love radiating from him. "All over the world, there are people just as geeky as me, and as far as they're concerned, all that 'inherent evil' crap is barely enough to slow you down. And as long as people still read comics and watch anime and all that other geeky crap, they're going to look at you and see someone who'll always be better than where they came from."

"And what about you?" Raven asked. "How much do you believe in me?" She didn't need to ask. She was an empath; she could feel his unshakeable faith in her fill the room. But she asked anyway.

"Enough to fall in love, take a bullet and propose." He answered simply. "And even more than that."

"Then that's all I need." Raven whispered as she wrapped her arms around him, content to stay like this until the next time someone needed her help, the next time she'd give it her all, even if people hated and feared her. After all; she couldn't let Gar down, now could she?


End file.
